Setting tool for heat sealing die machines



July 16, 1963 H. L. DIAMOND SETTING Toor. FOR HEAT SEALTNG DTE MACHINES Filed Nov.

Ilarlyl. Diam and BY 9 ,ji-I g`3/ INVENTOR.

ATT ORNE Y United States Patent O 3,097,434 SETTING TOOL FOR HEAT SEALING DIE j MACHINES Harry L. D iamond, Hotel Newburgh, Newburgh, N.Y. Filed Nov. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 150,794 4 Claims. (Cl. 315-181) This invention relates to a setting tool for heat sealing die machines.

It 'is the principal objectv of the present invention to provide a setting tool for heat sealing dies by which once the die has been aligned with the tray pattern with the setting tool the tray can by the use of the tool fixed to the die plate be quickly and readily positioned on the press bed by one less expert than the one who has made the original setting as by theoperator herself.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a heat seal die setting tool for use with the heat seal die wherein the likelihood of the heat seal die being damaged is reduced to a minimum and the number of spoil pieces resulting from improper alignment of the cardboard filler blank disposed between the plastic sheet and about which the heat sealing is effected is minimized.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a setting tool for heat seal die machines with means for preventing the operation of the die and the jamming of the operators fingers while the alignment of the tray containing the work pattern is being made on the die machine bed beneath the die.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a heat seal die setting tool with marking elements that serve to make the markings on the work piece tray simply through the use of hammer action upon the marking element and wherein the marking element may be relieved of its sharp .marking points and become effective as guide elements for locating the tray properly beneath the heat seal die.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide in a setting tool for heat sealing dies, that is of simple construction, easy to attach to the die supporting plate, easy to adjust to different size die supporting plates, has markers which are spring biased and which are adapted to receive marking points and which can be struck to make the initial holes in the work piece tray, has a minimum number of parts, inexensive to manufacture, adapted for easy use by the operator, and efficient and elective 1n use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE l is a collective and exploded view of the die supporting plate, the setting tool, the work pieces and of the work piece tray clamped to the machine bed,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the setting tool,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the setting tool taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the marking and centering device disposed on each end of the setting tool and as viewed on line 4-4 of FIG. l,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the finished sealed work piece, and

FIG. l6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one vnotched portion of the inner bar of the tool on which the marking and centering device sleeve is adjustable.

Referring now to the figures, 10 represents a supporting plate for a heat sealing die 11 and forming the movable parts of the die press. This supporting plate has an electric cord 12 by which current is delivered to the supporting plate and die to supply the heating current thereto. The present setting tool as indicated generally at 13 Pce is attached to the die supporting plate lll. For the purpose there is drilled into the supporting plate l()1 and tapped a threaded hole 14 for the fixing of the setting tool 13 to the supporting plate lt)l by a hand screw 15 which has a threaded portion 16 of reduced diameter and a shoulder 17 that abuts the underside of the setting tool 13. The setting tool 13 is sectional including a main or inner member constituted by an elongated rectangular fiat notched bar 19, a shorter rectangular mounting plate 21 and outer slidable sleeves 26 an-d 27. The threaded portion 16 of the hand screw 15 extends through a hole 18 in the notched inner bar member 19 and an aligned hole in the mounting plate 21 thereon and is extended into the threaded hole 14 in the die supporting plate.

In order that the setting tool 13 is restrained against turning upon the attaching hand screw 15, there are provided two holes 22 and 23l respectively equally laterally space-d at the opposite sides of the threaded hole 14 and adapted to receive respectively upon the setting tool being assembled upon the die supporting plate 10* respective pin projections Z4 and 25. Slida-ble laterally on the opposite ends of the notched inner bar 19 are the respective sleeves 26 and 27 that respectively support on their outer ends centering devices '28 and 29. These sleeves are retained in their adjusted positions and so that the upper ends of the centering devices 28 and 29 lie laterally outwardly of the opposite side edges of the die supporting plate 10 by respective thumb screws 31 and 32 threaded into the sides of the sleeves and adapted to enter any one of respective notches 33 in the side edge of the inner bar 19.

Each of the centering devices 28 and 29 is spring biased and includes an outer sleeve 34, a biasing spring 35 lying therewithin and `surrounding a central rod 36 that h as a striking hea-d 37 that can be struck with a hammer and a -bottom rounded centering head 38 into which the rod 36 is threaded as indicated at 39. The spring 35 normally biases the rod head 38 downward from the-lower end of the outer sleeve 34. A. grommet 41 is used to secure the centering device upon the end of the adjustable sleeve.

When a marking operation is to be effected with the centering device a striking point 42 is fitted upon the rod head 38. By striking the upper head 37 of the rod 'with a hammer a marking point will be made in a work tray 43. This is done at the completion of the initial setting up and aligning of the die 11 with the work tray pattern. Such markings are suitable to locate and start a drill to provide centering holes 44 and 45- in the sides of the tray 43 which are of such ydiameter as to receive the rounded rod heads 38, the striking point 42 having been removed therefrom and no longer needed once the tray 43 has been identified with the particular die 1l.

The work tray 43 has atop pattern recess 46 from which there extends upwardly spaced work assembling pins 47 and 48 and is shaped to receive a bottom work piece 49 that has respective holes 51 and 52 that receive the respective assembling pins 47 and 48. The operator `simply places the work piece 49 over the pins and into the recess 46. Thereafter she cenlters the filler piece '53 which has respective holes 54 and 55 upon the assembling pins 47 and 48. 'Ihis filler piece 53 is usually made of cardboard and must always be properly aligned to be surrounded by the heat sealing die 11. Thereafter a top work piece 56 which has no assembling holes is placed over the filler 153 and centered by the side edges of the recess 46. If all parts have been properly aligned with one another the die 11 is brought downwardly over the rwork pieces to heat seal `the top piece 56 -to the bottom piece 49 and over the filler 53 whereby to provide a serrated sealing edge 57 on a final article 58 as best shown in FIG. 5 and from which the waste stock is easily torn or separated therefrom in the well known manner. -If by some means the iiller piece 53 was not centered properly with the die `11 upon the die 11 being brought down over the work pieces, there is likelihood that the die would be damaged, Ithus great care has had to be taken by experts in the setting up of the heat seal die equipment.

Within a shop where this type of work is being done there are numerous trays 43` having ldifferent die recesses 46, one for each work item that is made in that shop. Often only a few work items are needed and the run is short. The operator then must have centered a new tray for another run and this has usually had to be done by an expert because the die is at stake and may easily be damaged. But with the present setting tool 13 the tool is simply secured to the die plate with the hand screw 15 by the operator herself and the tray 43 located thereunder so Ithat its holes 44 and 45 receive the rod heads 38 of the respective centering devices 28 and 29, the tray will be automatically centered and aligned with the die 11 and by simply securing the tray 43 to the machine bed 59 by hand clamps 61 and 62 or any other suitable means the set up will have been easily and quickly effected by the operator herself without requiring the setting up expert to be present.

While she is doing this the die will be prevented from taking its full stroke by engagement of the head of the hand screw 15 with the tray or machine bed and the lingers of the operator thereby protected from the die 11. To put lthe die sealing machine into iinal operation to make the work items 58, the setting tool 13 is removed from the die supporting plate 10. The centering heads 38 being spring biased will upon the :die plate 1t)i being brought down center and locate themselves easily and readily in the centering holes 44 and 45 of the tray 43.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided by this invention a setting tool for setting up heat sealing dies within their machines without the need of an expert once the initial setting has been effected by him and in which 4the following settings can be effected after the short runs of any particular items by the operator herself 4without fear of the die being destroyed.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it should be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as `defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A `die setting tool adapted to be connected to a die supporting plate of a die press comprising an elongated iiat horizon-tal main member and other members mounted upon land adjustably positionable along the main member, a centering device extending vertically through each adjustable member and a striking point secured to the bottom end of each centering device and adapted to effect a marking upon a work tray when said centering 4device is struck on the upper end thereof, land means on the main member for detachably fixing yand centering the setting tool upon the die supporting plate.

2. A die setting tool as defined in claim 1, said main member having a central vertical hole, said fixing and centering means comprising a hand screw extendable through the central hole and into the die supporting plate to hold the tool against displacement therefrom and pin projections extending upwardly from the main member and respectively laterally spaced from the opposite sides of the hand screw opening and adapted to enter respective holes in the die supporting plate.

3. A die setting tool as defined in claim 1, and said main member being a laterally extending bar, said adjustable members being sleeves respectively slidable along the opposite ends of said bar, said centering devices being fixed to the outer ends of the sleeves and adapted to lie respectively outwardly of the respective side edges of the die supporting plate, and said main bar member having notches, and clamping screws on the respective |adjustable sleeves adapted to enter any of the notches to releasably retain the adjustable sleeves in their adjusted positions upon the main inner bar member.

4. A die setting tool as dened in claim 3, and said centering devices each including an outer sleeve, grom met means for fixing the sleeve to the outer end of the adjacent adjustable sleeve, a rod adjustable within the outer sleeve, a compression spring surrounding the rod within the sleeve, and upper and lower heads connected to the rod, whereby said lower head lying beneath the adjustable sleeve is biased to a lowered position, said lower headbeing adapted to be thereby easily located in a centering hole of the work tray, said lower head of the centering device being adapted to removably receive said striking point.

No references cited. 

1. A DIE SETTING TOOL ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A DIE SUPPORTING PLATE OF A DIE PRESS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLAT HORIZONTAL MAIN MEMBER AND OTHER MEMBERS MOUNTED UPON AND ADJUSTABLY POSITIONABLE ALONG THE MAIN MEMBER, A CENTERING DEVICE EXTENDING VERTICALLY THROUGH EACH ADJUSTABLE MEMBER AND A STRIKING POINT SECURED TO THE BOTTOM END OF EACH CENTERING DEVICE AND ADAPTED TO EFFECT A MARKING UPON A WORK TRAY WHEN SAID CENTERING DEVICE IS STRUCK ON THE UPPER END THEREOF, AND MEANS ON THE MAIN MEMBER FOR DETACHABLY FIXING AND CENTERING THE SETTING TOOL UPON THE DIE SUPPORTING PLATE. 